St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-12
STRAY SUNBEAMS.

| distinction of having invented the word
boom" and is probably entitled to that dis
tinction. a new London dictionary ascribes
the origin of the word to the Indianapolis
| Journal, but with rare generosity the Indian
apolis paper valves the honor and admits
that the Globe-Democrat is entitled to it,
The first publication of the word in the
sense ii is now used was in the Globe Demo-
GRAFT i'll July, 1873. Before that time the
same idea was expressed in the full sentence
-"Whoop her up. Eliza Jane"
Xxx
Having proved its claim to the distinction
| of being the inventor of the word ''boom,"
the Globe Democrat can now endear itself to
the American public if it will invent some
way to get rid of that self-same word 1t is
handy sort of a word to be sure but its
hardness has made it chestnutty Properly
speaking boom is a continuance to catch
logs. In its modern sense the word is used
as continuance TO catch all the drift wood of
English literature.
Did Marshal NEy die in North Carolina in
the guise of a country schoolmaster? This, is
the unsovled problem which DR.. DRAPER, the
Wisconsin antiquarian, is industriously work
ingO out. A few days ago the GLOBE alluded to
the fact that the body of PETER STUART NgY,
to be exhumed with the expectation of identi-
flying it with that of NAPOLEON greatest field
marshal by some marks on the skull which
resulted from saber wound and subsequent
trepanning. The body was taken from the
grave where it had been resting for half
century, and the examination made by
number of local physicians and surgeons in
the presence of DR.. DRAPER and other emf
nent American historians. The examination
was unsatisfactory. The skull was in such a
poor state of preservation that the marks the
the doctors looked for were obscure if indeed
they existed at all. I
NJ Il
In the meantime DR.. DRAPER has been
gathering abundant indirect evidence to
prove that Schoolmaster NEY. of North Caro-
lima, was the identical French marshal, in
disguise. There are old men still living in
North Carolina who were pupils of Peda-
gogue NEY, and their description of his per-
oral appearance corresponds exactly with
that of the Duke of Echlingen. He had
the same red hair of so crimson hue that his
soldiers called him the RED Lion" They
remember that Schoolmaster NEY had AN
eagle eye, which always looked into the
depths of the soul and was the most expert
swordsman ever known in those parts He
had military bearing, always dressed well,
was always charitable, and had but one fault
-fondness for liquor. His old pupils also
remember that he had large scar
on his head, about four inches long. evidently
caused by saber cut and that on his
body were other wounds. They recall an
instance when he was brought home drunk
one evening, and upon recovering from his
stupor upbraided those around him for treat
ing the Duke of Echingen with so much dis
respect. correct portrait of Marshal NEY
has been exhibited in the neighborhood and
pronounced to be an exact picture of the old
schooimaSter.
~
CAPT. HOUSTON, an old North Carolina law
yer, who was intimately acquainted with the
schoolmaster, says that short time before
his death NEY told him that a box which was
secreted in his private desk contained some
papers which would astound the world.
After his death the box was sought for but
not found. 1t is believed to have been stolen
and carried away to France. A great mass of
documents has been collected by Dr. DRAPER
bearing on this remarkable case, and as they
l,o I- l.